I think the letter loses a lot of it's credibility when one realises that it is signed by so many Labour MPs and ex MPs - including Bob Ainsworth!![/QUOTE

Agreed as the letter becomes a political one by the inclusion of such names.

A pity really as it probably will be dismissed as such. Why their names were invited to be included is beyond me. There only seems (to me) to be about 5-10 names of that ilk, but this still dilutes the message.

Some 'big hitters' here. As AY said, reduction in credibility due to including the Ainsworth nob. Some other notables: Admiral Lord West, labour security lackey. Commander Sharkey Ward, who interestingly is down as double-barrelled. He is higher up the list, with his DSC/AFC listed, than Sir Peter Squire, an RAF Air Marshal who as OC 1 Sqn lost 40% of his 10 aircraft in the Falklands - for some reason Sir Peter doesn't have his GCB/DFC/AFC mentioned - clearly Ward is a self angrandising tube*.

Also Sir Michael Graydon, former CAS. Actually, I believe it was he coined the term 'overstretch' publicly in the papers - options for change or another of the 90's cuts was on. Wow, one of them fighting for us. Until the next day, when nobbled from above, he made a public retraction.

Dr Cumming, whose paper about the RN in the Battle of Britain told us that actually it was the fish-heads that won it for us, not 'the few'.

Admiral Sandy Woodward, who refers to the Tornado as 'old and decrepit' - even though Harrier GR1 flew in 1967 and Tornado GR1 in 1974.

No sign of Messrs Dannatt or Jackson signing.

Tbh I would never pay any attention to anything found in the 'Indy' either weekdays or on Sundays - so independent it is owned by a former KGB agent turned oligarch.

* I base this on primary source evidence. A navy mucker of mine was delighted, when his ship checked in to some Carribean location to encounter an old British gent in the bars who quickly identified himself to be Sharkey Ward (how do you know you are in a room with a harrier pilot?) This quickly turned into disappointment when he was revealed on the piss not to be a legendary drinker spinning a few dits but a arrogant nasty condescending old lush who thought he could treat JO's of today like cack.

The issue isn't how much is spent, it is how that money is spent and if you want to look at people to blame as to how that money is spent then a good start would be the people with the gold braid and the very nice pensions waiting for them.

Several Conservatives, while declining to sign the letter, backed the call for a rethink. A former chief of the general staff, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, said: "There are moments in history when any government might wish to re-evaluate its security and defence policies and priorities. Events in North Africa and the Middle East constitute one such moment."